By Debbie Page
debbiepage.iredellfreenews@gmail.com
The Iredell Local Reentry Council continues to expand its horizons as it helps advocate for increases in transitional housing options and seeks funding sources, including opioid settlement money, state grants, and other funding as it aims to create a case management position and expand its efforts.
The group’s goal is to coordinate participating agencies’ resources to help those re-entering the community from prison or jail as well as their children and families. It tries to identify any gaps in services that may impede them from becoming productive, law-abiding members of society, according to chair Pam Navey, community resource coordinator for the Statesville Police Department.
“The re-entry population is one that many do not want to talk about. It’s not a warm, fuzzy issue when you talk to leaders, but we have to help them understand that although they may have a criminal background or a life situation caused by culture, poverty or family situations, we do not want to give up on people who have made mistakes,” said Navey.
Navey noted that some serving on the council have been incarcerated in the past but are now productive community members who work every day to help others with a similar background. The council tries to pull community resources together to serve these people and not leave them behind, added Navey.
The sequential mapping process being tentatively planned for this fall to examine community services and identify gaps in services for persons re-entering from incarceration will provide helpful information for the council.
The council members have been active in helping those re-entering Iredell County. Fifth Street Ministries helped with funding to get the Foundry House transitional program started to help those re-entering, especially those with substance-use problems.
Statesville Housing Authority (SHA) also started transitional housing units, currently eight spaces, and plans to expand to offer 13 beds by October, providing more options to help previously incarcerated persons with housing, wrap-around services through Fifth Street, employment assistance, in an effort to reduce recidivism and help these individuals to become productive citizens.
Three residents currently in the SHA program who are on supervised probation have been compliant with rules and treatment services. They are receiving case management services and have been successful so far.
Turkessia Brown-Evans reported that the adult corrections system is in the process of separating from the N.C. Department of Public Safety into a separate corrections system. Corrections is implementing a software system to provide current re-entry data to communities.
The N.C. Department of Public Safety reports that more than 20,000 individuals return to their home communities after being released from N.C. prisons each year, with about 95 percent of people eventually returning to their home communities.
FUNDING
The Reentry Council was in the process of looking for funding for a case management position to work with individual entities before the COVID-19 pandemic stalled efforts. Fifth Street Ministry’s Dan Miglin said they have identified several possible funding opportunities that may open up soon.
Navey said some of the opioid settlement money coming to the county over the next few years is clearly earmarked by the state for re-entry resources, including substance use disorder and the offender population.
“I want the county to know that we are doing work here, that we are pulling data together, and that we have resources to get data to them on needs for the offender population with substance abuse issues and how we can tap into some of those needed resources.”
“I don’t want the work we have done over several years for the re-entry population and the needs we have been addressing without state and community funds to be lost. We have gone outside the area to private foundations for funds to assist us and from the funds from Iredell-Statesville Community Enrichment.”
UPCOMING TRANSITIONAL AFTERCARE NETWORK (TAN) TRAINING
Wendy Martin, Goodwill’s project re-entry coordinator, announced an upcoming training opportunity for faith-based individuals or churches interested in mentoring male and female formerly incarcerated individuals who elect for this help as they prepare to re-integrate into our community.
The Transitional Aftercare Network (TAN) program, which “is transforming lives through a Spirit of Excellence,” works to enhance the re-entry experience and reduce the number of people who end up back in prison.
TAN trains individuals, agencies and faith-based and community organizations to provide aftercare through an educational forum within their own county. It trains mentors to provide guidance and encouragement and to teach coping and life-coaching skills.
The mentors help returning folks reintegrate with their families, communities, and workforce to become productive citizens.
After the offenders complete a state approved pre-release program, prison officials identify those eligible for TAN and have them complete the application and interview process with the county coordinator.
If approved, trained mentors are then paired with the individual to help them find community resources and connect with community partners.
Transitioning from institutionalization to freedom, taking on new responsibilities, and experiencing conflicting emotions can be difficult without assitance. Obtaining food, clothing, housing and job assistance while seeking family integration and emotional support is a daunting process for those returning after incarceration.
TAN volunteer mentors assist the ex-offenders with the coping and cognitive skills essential to successfully transition before and after their release.
Martin, who took TAN training in another county, is seeking a date in October to provide this training to Iredell County faith-based churches and organizations interested in starting this ministry.
Spiritual values form the foundation of TAN, including the beliefs that all individuals have potential to contribute, every individual deserves opportunities, and that philosophy governs mentors’ actions.
Aftercare volunteer opportunities include being a TAN coordinator (phone calls, follow-ups, coordinating events, team-building, etc.), providing transportation, being a donations coordinator (clothing, money, time, home needs, etc.), providing clerical support skills (data entry, secretarial, office equipment), assisting with transition and re-entry planning, or serving as a Mentor/Life Coach or Transitional Aftercare Training Instructor.
TAN assists inmates and ex-offenders whose prison infractions do not exceed a Class C or D Disciplinary level. The network does not formally work with sex offenders but will provide references to other available resources.
For more information on the local TAN training opportunity, contact Martin at wmartin@goodwillnwnc.org.
PROJECT ANGEL TREE
Martin is also seeking partners to help with the Project Angel Tree effort, which provides Christmas gifts to county children, given to them for parents are incarcerated. She is also starting the annual list of children who need to be served through the project.
Martin says there are usually 100 children who are served by the holiday effort.
Contact Martin if your church, business, or organization would like to help.
NEXT MEETING
The next Local Reentry Council meeting is on September 28 at 10 a.m. Contact Navey at pnavey@statesvillenc.net if interested in attending.